Wekk 4: Medication and Young Minds

The most interesting theme to me this week was children and medication. It seems to be a topic that has a lot of controversy, and rightfully so I would think. Is medication acceptable for young minds? Will it change their development? What if they can’t function without the medication?

                “Medicating Young Minds,” by Jeffrey Kluger, examines a case of a young girl who has both OCD and ADHD, which made her teen years much more difficult than your average teenage years. She was prescribed Lexapro which helped but does have side effects. It alters your brain chemistry and “artificially manipulates the very chemicals responsible for feeling and thought.” (Kluger). Her brain, as we have learned through our text book, has years to go before it is fully developed. She was also put on Ritalin to counteract her symptoms of ADHD. Unfortunately that drug also caused weight loss and sleeplessness. I can’t remember what chapter it was in our text, but we have learned how important sleep is for children. So these drugs have made her symptoms much more manageable but at what cost?

                I can’t say for sure what I would do if I had a child who needed these drugs. Bipolar Type 2 runs in my family and you are usually diagnosed between the ages of 15-24. If my 15 year old was diagnosed, would I let them take medication that alters their brain chemistry? I don’t really know to be honest. What do you guys think? I hope that many doctors are continuing to do long term studies on these drugs so we know what will happen 15, 20, 30 years out. I would love to hear people’s thoughts on this topic. Thanks for reading!